AUGUST 20, 2018

TO OUR COMMUNITY:

We haven’t been in touch for a few months and we want to share why.

Following our Spring Party this past May, we decided that we needed to spend the summer considering what we want the impact of THE CREATORS COLLECTIVE to be. This meant having conversations around where we believe we should direct our time and energy as a small, yet passionate staff and board. It meant looking at ourselves as leaders of a Brooklyn-based collective and considering what our priorities and goals should be as creators and citizens.

Taking this time also offered us the ability to consider the artists and audiences we have supported and connected with over the past five years - each one making meaningful contributions to the trajectory and foundation of the collective thus far.

These conversations led us to recognize that without changes to our mission and direction, we would be limiting ourselves of fulfilling our collective duty as citizens, community members, and creators. As everyday citizens, we are concerned about those who are more vulnerable than us, who have access to fewer resources. We are having conversations about equity and education, and how we can amplify the voices of those with important stories to share - and all of this must be reflected in the work that we do with the collective as well.

This is not a conversation that began this summer. Just under a year ago, we shared another letter to our community, in which we committed to shifting our priorities as a collective, holding ourselves and the artists in our community accountable to learning about and advocating for the issues facing our local and greater communities, and becoming more reflective of the communities we serve. We stand committed to having our work as a collective best represent our values in standing up for justice, engaging our community, remaining accountable and transparent, and encouraging everyone in our CC community to join us.

In the coming months, we will share some of our plans and how everyone can get involved. We thank you for your commitment to THE CREATORS COLLECTIVE and can’t wait to share our new and improved vision for the collective soon.